Kingwood girls soccer advances with 4-1 win over Spring (updated)

Published 7:36 pm, Tuesday, March 29, 2011

George Stadium was rowdy from the onset Tuesday night as a host of students, parents and other fans were on hand to celebrate the Spring girls soccer team's first playoff appearance since 1993.

Kingwood, the Lady Lions' opponents, refused to get caught up in the hoopla. The District 14-5A champions pulled away in the second half to win 4-1 in their bi-district playoff match and end Spring's renaissance season.

Kingwood took control of Tuesday’s playoff game in a one-minute stretch early in the second half. Kaisa Marshall, the Lady Mustangs’ leading goal scorer, got her second goal of the match in the 43rd minute with a shot that rolled in easily from about 30 yards out.

A minute later, Sabrina Wittenbrink had a good look at the goal from near the six-yard box. Surrounded by defenders and with Spring’s goalkeeper committed to the save, Wittenbrink couldn’t get a shot off. However, the ball sprung loose and rolled straight to Marshall, who was wide open and just a few feet away from the left post. Marshall tapped her shot straight into an empty net to secure the hat trick and give the Lady Mustangs an insurmountable lead.

"That one was kind of a given," Marshall said of her third goal. "I was thinking, ‘I have to make this goal.’"

After Marshall’s third goal, Kingwood’s defense tightened up considerably. Spring had trouble getting the ball past midfield for much of the second half as the Lady Mustangs kept racking up shots. Kelsey Bright tried two headers near the goal that missed left in the 49th minute, and a corner kick by Katt Dowd in the 52nd minute netted no goal.

Spring coach Brandi Chapman said Kingwood’s offensive firepower forced her to play conservatively in the second half. With her defenders and midfielders packed in at the goal, the Lady Lions had few chances to clear the ball.

"I had to protect ourselves defensively and put everybody back because Kingwood is so strong," Chapman said. "I felt we could have been more aggressive had we had a chance to get away from their offense, but we just could not let anyone else score."

Despite the deficit, Spring kept going at it, and midway through the second half the Lady Lions started to break through. Midfielder Lianna Herbert was tripped up on a potential breakaway 35 yards out in the 51st minute. The subsequent free kick went straight into the hands of Lady Mustangs’ goalkeeper Kaitlyn Fitz, but Spring was finally making headway on Kingwood’s side of the field.

In the 55th minute, Lady Lions’ senior captain Lauren Lartigue was wide open near the 20-yard line. She had a clear path to the goal, but with two Kingwood defenders running towards her at full speed she had to rush her shot. The ball went straight to Fitz and Spring was still scoreless.

The Lady Lions got on the board in the 68th minute on a 40-yard free kick by Ashlee Thompson. Lartigue had another potential breakaway four minutes later, but Kingwood defender Kaytlynn Gourley thwarted it with a quick recovery.

Kelsey Bright put the game away for Kingwood by scoring her first goal of the match in the 73rd minute.

Kingwood center back Kristin Hinze, a key contributor to the Lady Mustangs’ defense, said her team showed poise in withstanding the late rally.

"I think it was all about composure and keeping our cool," she said.

With the win, the Lady Mustangs advance to the area round where they’ll face Austin Stephen F. Austin. The Lady Maroons won their bi-district match 3-2 against Georgetown Tuesday night. The Lady Mustangs and the Lady Maroons will meet Friday night in Brenham at 6 p.m.

For Spring, the loss ended what was a comeback season. Four years ago, the Lady Lions won one game all season and scored just one goal in 14 district matches. Since then, they have rebuilt themselves into a potential contender. Spring loses 12 seniors from this year’s roster, but Chapman said she thinks a foundation has been set for further success.

"I think we’ve built a reputation of dedication and heart," she said. "We’re going to have to spend the next couple of years rebuilding quite a bit, but we’ve set ourselves up to attract strong athletes with a lot of dedication."